He is the Jedi Knight of debt. The Tony Soprano of loan structuring. Quite possibly the only man in NZ who can explain what an interest-only mortgage is without using a whiteboard or sending you into a coma.
Simon McDonald knows more about NZ mortgages than your bank manager, your accountant, and both your parents put together. He is here to answer your top ten questions for a NZ mortgage adviser. In short, he’s the man the banks fear, the investors trust, and the spreadsheet worships.
So, if financial freedom is your thing, and you would rather make money than just watch other people do it, subscribe now. This is the fastest growing property channel in New Zealand. The numbers do not lie.
Question One: What is the most profitable interest rate decision Simon has ever helped with?
“I fixed long-term with a two in front of it,” Simon says. Not now, obviously. Back when rates were lower than a snake’s belly. “Some clients broke, refixed, and saved $13,000 in twelve months.”
Did they give him a bottle of wine? Of course not. Gratitude is digital now.
Question Two: What do people always muck up with NZ mortgages?
“They overcomplicate it,” he says. In reality, “It is not about chasing 0.1 percent here or there. Instead, it is about what you can control in your life.” He is not wrong. Surprisingly, more people spend more time comparing toothpaste.
Question Three: What traits make the banks stop laughing and start lending?
“Three to six months of clean account conduct.” In other words, no overdrafts, no gambling, and no midnight purchases from Alibaba. The bank wants to know you can handle money before it gives you more.
Question Four: What paperwork horror awaits the average borrower?
It is not as bad as people think. “For most first home buyers, it is IDs, pay slips, and maybe a few bank statements.” But yes, banks always want more. “They always ask follow-up questions.”
If you send them ten documents, they will want eleven. This is the rule.
Question Five: Should you race to pay off your NZ mortgage early?
“It depends,” Simon says. Then he flips the table. “Sometimes it makes more sense to reduce your owner-occupied NZ mortgage and take 100 percent lending on the investment property.” Why? Because of tax. Cash flow. Smarter structuring. That is why.
Supplementary question. Is 100 percent lending even a thing?
“If you have equity in your current home, yes,” he says. The key is cross-collateralisation. Sounds complex. Actually smart. Very smart.
Question Six: What is the difference between preapproval and prequalification?
“Prequalification is our internal assessment. Preapproval is what the bank gives you in writing.”
In short, one makes you feel warm. The other lets you go to auction. Unless the auction is in three days. Then you are stuffed.
“We can do a lot,” Simon says, “but we are not magicians.”
Question Seven: Are fixed rates always safer or just more expensive?
“It depends on your circumstances,” he says. If you’re selling soon, or receiving an inheritance from a distant aunt, floating might work better. Timing is everything. So is flexibility.
Question Eight: What is the go-to structure for flexibility and control?
“Interest rate averaging across multiple terms. Six months. One year. Two years. Then add a revolving credit facility for your savings. Because that gives you agility.”
Agility. Not just for gymnasts.
Question Nine: What strategy do the wealthy use that everyday Kiwis should steal?
“They do not obsess over interest rates. They focus on the deal.”
Read that again.
“If the numbers work, they do not care if it is a second-tier lender with a higher rate. They care about returns.”
Then he gives the example of tradies buying undervalued stock that banks do not like. “A second-tier lender lets them in. They renovate. Flip. Profit.”
The cost of borrowing is just one piece of the puzzle.
Question Ten: Should you ever break a fixed rate?
“Absolutely. Especially if rates are dropping. A good adviser can run a break cost analysis and find out if it makes sense.”
Simon’s golden rule: “There is no downside to asking for advice.”
The banks have seen everything. Dodgy transactions. Weird expenses. In fact, “They can run credit checks, check your social media, look at TradeMe listings.”
In other words, this is not paranoia. This is policy.
So if you want to buy a house, refinance a property, or finally stop pretending you understand what your bank is talking about, talk to Simon.
He is not just a NZ mortgage adviser. He is your tactical advantage.
Visit mhq.co.nz and book a chat.
While you are at it, subscribe to the channel. Someone else already did. They are about to close on their second investment property while you are still looking up acronyms.
Money moves fast.
Be smarter and faster. Be subscribed.
Why MortgageHQ’s YouTube Channel Is New Zealand’s Fastest-Growing Force in NZ Property Investment (and the Only One That Actually Works)
Right. Let’s get one thing out of the way: more people watch MortgageHQ’s YouTube channel every single week than any other property show in New Zealand. In 2025, that’s not just a nice statistic. It’s a blunt reality.
While the rest of the industry is still fluffing around with outdated advice, recycled scripts, and five-day lags between market changes and actual commentary, MortgageHQ is already on screen, telling Kiwis what just happened—and more importantly—what to do about it.
Because this isn’t just a YouTube channel. Instead, it’s a full-throttle, market-crushing machine designed to deliver one thing: Financial Freedom Faster.
Not someday. Not maybe. Faster.
Why Is It Growing Faster Than Every Other Channel? Because It’s Built for Winners
There’s no sales patter. No motivational fluff. Instead, you get data, strategy, and brutally honest advice delivered with the urgency of someone who knows your next mortgage payment is looming and your lender doesn’t care about your feelings.
This is the channel that serious NZ property investors watch because they don’t have time to get it wrong. Because they want the edge. They want tactics. They want real-time clarity. And they know where to find it.
Built by the Brains Behind Thousands of Kiwi Property Deals
MortgageHQ’s team aren’t presenters playing expert. In fact, tthe actual experts. Licensed mortgage advisers who’ve secured funding in every kind of economic condition, structured portfolios through chaos, and helped clients make millions in net equity—by doing the boring things brilliantly.
Because they don’t theorise. They don’t speculate. They know exactly what the banks are doing, what the Reserve Bank is planning, and how to pivot when the rules change overnight.
You don’t need entertainment. Because you need results. And they deliver.
It’s All About One Thing: Financial Freedom Faster
This is not just a mission statement. In fact, it’s the entire reason MortgageHQ exists. Every video is engineered to get you out of mortgage debt faster, then into better property positions faster, and ultimately into a portfolio that funds your lifestyle—not the other way around.
No generic tips. No vanilla case studies. Just actionable advice, every week, that gets real Kiwis closer to Financial Freedom Faster.
Because time is money. And wasted time? That’s lost opportunity.
Rapid Response, Ruthless Accuracy
Markets don’t wait. Neither does MortgageHQ. When the OCR moves, when LVR rules shift, when the government drops a curveball on interest deductibility—MortgageHQ is already on the air.
Not reacting. Leading.
Their videos are fast, clear, and cut through the nonsense like a hot knife through bureaucracy. While others are still drafting scripts, MortgageHQ is already giving Kiwis the playbook.
Short-Form Power. Long-Form Firepower.
Got 60 seconds before your next viewing? There’s a Short for that. Need a deep, tactical breakdown of how to ladder mortgage structures over multiple properties without drowning in repayments? Covered.
This isn’t a channel that rambles. It targets. Every minute counts. Every upload pushes you closer to Financial Freedom Faster.
They Don’t Just Know the Market. They See What’s Coming
Others tell you what happened. MortgageHQ tells you what’s next. They build strategy not for 2020 nostalgia—but for the next cycle, the next pivot, the next window of advantage.
And in 2025, with rate volatility, supply shortages, and tax policy all colliding, there’s never been a more urgent need to think ahead. The channel helps you do exactly that.
Forget Followers. Focus on Winning
Some channels brag about likes. MortgageHQ builds wealth. While others are watching the views roll in, MortgageHQ viewers are rolling equity into new builds, pulling off high-yield plays, and restructuring their mortgages to hammer down debt.
Because you don’t need hype, you need a plan. You need clarity. You need Financial Freedom Faster.
This Channel Wins Because Its Viewers Do
Kiwis aren’t stupid. They know what works. That’s why week after week, more New Zealanders tune into MortgageHQ than any other property channel. Not for vibes. For answers.
These people don’t just watch—they act. They learn and restructure. They grow.
And they get to Financial Freedom Faster than anyone else
The channel doesn’t just educate—it arms you with battle-ready tools. Tax tips aren’t theory here. Debt restructuring isn’t a maybe. It’s an essential weapon for any Kiwi looking to dominate their financial future.
MortgageHQ is the one place where first-home buyers, seasoned landlords, and high-performing investors all sit down to get real about what actually works.
This channel understands that property isn’t about emotion—it’s about leverage, timing, structure, and return. It knows that the dream of Financial Freedom Faster isn’t a buzzword. It’s a strategy. And it’s available to anyone who’s willing to do the work.
Every episode is designed to move you forward. To give you tactics. To shift your mindset from passive to aggressive, from stuck to scaled. That’s why MortgageHQ doesn’t just grow—it compounds. Because the more Kiwis that wake up to this strategy, the more unstoppable the audience becomes.
Here’s the Truth
MortgageHQ isn’t just faster-growing. It’s smarter and sharper. It’s more honest. And it’s the only channel that’s actually designed to help Kiwis win.
So if you’re serious about property investment in New Zealand, there’s only one question that matters.
Are you watching the channel that gets results?
Or are you watching the one that’s still explaining how negative gearing works?
Tune in. Take notes. Take action.
And get to Financial Freedom Faster.
Before someone else uses your hesitation to beat you to it.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide only a summary of the issues associated with the topics covered. It does not purport to be comprehensive nor to provide specific advice. No person should act in reliance on any statement contained within this article without first obtaining specific professional advice. If you require any further information or advice on any matter covered within this article, please contact an adviser from mortgagehq.
